Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/20 (up to 48 V)

In a nutshell

The small Victron solar charge controller: 100 V input and 20 A charge current, for batteries of 12, 24 or up to 48 V.

Perfect for a small country house, a well with a small pump, a boat or a lighting system.

What the two numbers of an MPPT charge controller mean

• The input voltage is the maximum combined voltage of the panels connected in series. Keep in mind the Voc (open-circuit voltage) of your panels and leave a margin: on cool mornings it rises a little.
• The amps are the maximum current the controller delivers to the battery. Multiplied by the battery voltage, this current gives the panel power it can use.
• That is why it is best to work at 48 V: the same device delivers four times as much as at 12 V.
• If more panels are connected than it can handle, the controller simply does not use the excess (excess power does not damage it). But never exceed the input voltage: that does break it.

About this model (100 V · 20 A)

• For example, if a panel has 50.6 V open-circuit, only one fits per input: two in series add up to 101 V, more than it accepts.
• Usable power: 290 W at 12 V · 580 W at 24 V · 1,160 W at 48 V.
• Programmable load output (for example, turning off the lights at night when the battery runs low).
• Bluetooth.